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This Week in AsiaPolitics

Singapore’s Wong and Malaysia’s Anwar say both countries’ ties can be Asean model

  • Singapore PM Lawrence Wong and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim say they hope to settle outstanding issues by their next retreat

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shaking hands ahead of their meeting in Putrajaya. Photo: AFP
Jean Iau
How Singapore and Malaysia resolve their outstanding differences should set the standard for collaboration between Southeast Asian nations, the prime ministers of both countries said on Wednesday.
In his first official trip to Malaysia since taking office, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said a masterplan for a special economic zone between his country and the southern Malaysian state of Johor was an example of how Asean members could strengthen economic ties.

Singapore and Malaysia on January 11 signed an agreement on a new Johor-Singapore special economic zone under which both sides will work towards boosting the cross-border flow of goods and people, and supporting investments on both sides of the Causeway.

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Speaking at a joint press conference with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur, Wong said Johor and Singapore had all the ingredients to make a very successful economic zone and the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link was a “major game changer” for collaboration.

“What we are doing between Singapore-Malaysia and between Johor-Singapore is also in many ways what Asean ought to be doing to strengthen our economic integration as one community. So I’m very hopeful that Malaysia and Singapore can provide that strong anchor for a stronger and more integrated Asean community,” said Wong.

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On the issues of maritime boundaries between Singapore and Malaysia, Anwar said he understood their complexities and hoped they could be resolved by the next bilateral leaders’ retreat.

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